Honors Project

In order to graduate with Honors, each student has to complete an Honors Project and present it at the University Honors Poster Presentation held toward the end of each semester. This project allows you learn more about your chosen field of study, research or scholarship, and yourself. Completing an Honors project allows to you plan, execute, and complete a project that is, for the most part, self-directed.

You are responsible for choosing a project topic. The topic should further your educational goals and relate to your career plans. You might choose a specific topic area within your major or relative to your major that you wish to explore more indepth. If there is a faculty member with whom you would like to work, he/she may be willing to work with you on a topic of mutual interest. Finally, you currently may be involved in ongoing research in your field with a faculty member (or know of a faculty member conducting a larger research study). If this is true, there might be a part of the larger study that can become your Honors project.

Funds are available for you to use in completing your project. The Iowa State University Foundation has provided the University Honors Program with funds to support studies or research integral to an Honors student's project. Guidelines and applications can be found at www.honors.iastate.edu/current/scholarships.php. Honors students can apply for the Honors Program Grant and/or the Stewart Research Award.

The number of credits for the project is to be determined by you and your faculty project advisor. Your faculty project advisor is responsible for determining with you the number of credits to be earned. Credits assigned will depend on the scope and complexity of the project. Your faculty project advisor will be responsible for assessing the project.

Honors Project Statement of Intent

The purpose of this intent statement is to assist you in managing your Honors Project and keeping on track for its completion and your final Poster Presentation.

• If you plan on presenting your poster in the FALL, you need to submit your Honors Project Statement of Intent form by November 1 of the academic year prior to the poster presentation (e.g., If you plan on presenting your poster in the fall of 2008, your Honors Project Statement of Intent form would be due by November 1, 2007.).
• If you plan on presenting your poster in the SPRING, you need to submit your Honors Project Statement of Intent form by April 1 of the academic year prior to the poster presentation (e.g., If you plan on presenting your poster in the spring of 2009, your Honors Project Statement of Intent form would be due by April 1, 2008.).

To complete your contract it is suggested that you take the following steps:

• Contact one or more professors whose research is in an area of interest to you. Talk to them about what they are currently working on and ideas they have for future projects. Dialogue about the possibility of working with them on a project or what ideas they might have for you and would be willing to work on with you.< Some questions you might ask yourself in preparation for looking for a project and a professor with whom to work:
  • Where am I headed? Do I intend to follow my degree with graduate school?
  • What are my interest areas?
  • Do I have any “gaps” in my undergraduate education that I could fill with this project?
  • How much time do I have to commit to this project?
• Fill out the intent form, including several research questions that you and your project adviser have discussed and that you might include in your project. Remember, the College of Human Sciences Honors Committee is looking for projects that stretch your educational experience and will help you reach your education and career goals, including graduate school.
• Your project adviser’s signature verifies to the committee that the intent, scope, and time commitment of this project is considered scholarship in the field.
• If you change your project and/or your project advisor is no longer at Iowa State University, you will need to complete another intent form.

Once you have the form completed and signed by your faculty project advisor, please submit it to the Chair of the College Honors Committee.

Honors Project Proposal

The College of Human Sciences Honors Project Proposal process consists of two steps. The first step is completing and turning in the Project Overview and Application, which includes a cover sheet and the actual project proposal. The second step is briefly presenting your project proposal to a small (2-4) group of the College Honors Committee. During this presentation, Committee members will ask you questions and give you feedback to strengthen your proposal.

Your Honors Project Proposal needs to be submitted and approved in a timely manner. It is important you give yourself time to complete the project. You may be asked to make changes to your project proposal during the brief presentation. Therefore, it is important that you plan ahead!

• If you plan on participating in the University Honors Program Poster Presentation in the FALL, you need to submit your Honors Project Proposal by April 1 of the prior academic year (e.g., If you plan on presenting your poster in the fall of 2008, your Honors Project Proposal would be due by April 1, 2008.).
• If you plan on participating in the University Honors Program Poster Presentation in the SPRING, you need to submit your Honors Project Proposal by November 1 of the year prior to the poster presentation (e.g., If you plan on presenting your poster in the spring of 2009, your Honors Project Statement of Intent form would be due by November 1, 2008.).

Please read the following instructions!! Do not turn in (or sign) the Proposal Overview and Application until you have done so!!

Please work closely with your Project Advisor to define your project before you write the Project Proposal. Many Project Proposals are not approved because of procedural or descriptive flaws, even though the proposal has the Project Advisor’s signature.

The Project Proposal has two parts:

1. the Project Overview and Application
2. the actual Project Proposal.

Project Overview and Application - This is an actual form to be completed by you and signed by your Project Advisor.

Actual Project Proposal - Write your proposal as if you were writing for a committee of faculty members outside your discipline who do not know anything about the area of work you are doing. In your description, be sure to include ALL of the requested information.

Introduction - Explain how this project meets your goals as an Honors student and how it relates to your major and/or career.

Purpose and Learning Objectives - Explain the purpose of this project and what you hope to learn by doing it.

Significance of the Project - Explain why doing this project is important.

Procedures and Methods - Explain how you will approach/structure the project. Your explanation should be specific.

Application of Results - Explain how the results of your project will be applied.

Assessment of Learning - Explain how you will evaluate what you learned from the project.

If your project is part of a larger research effort, explain the larger project and its significance, and clearly explain what your specific role or contribution will be. Make sure any bibliography you include is formatted properly in accordance with an accepted style sheet. Check your spelling! Explain all abbreviations or technical terminology.

Once everything is completed, have your Project Advisor sign the application, and send everything to the Chair of the College Honors Committee. In addition to the signed hard copy (with the necessary attachments), please submit everything electronically to the Chair of the College Honors Committee. If you have any questions about the presentation or process, please see your Departmental Representative to the College Honors Committee.

The application and project proposal MUST BE TYPED.